From what I’ve seen, practical, hands-on people tend to be a little on the eccentric side. And speaking as an eccentric, hands-on person myself, I have to admit that we can be difficult to buy gifts for. Difficult, that is, if you really care about impressing us. With Christmas coming, gift suggestions for the hands-on eccentric in your life might be just what you need. I’ve used all five items you’ll find here, so I can vouch for them personally.

Irwin Marples 3-Piece Construction Chisel Set #1768781

These construction-grade chisels are one small part of Irwin’s campaign to resurrect the legendary Marples brand of woodworking tools, and you’ll be seeing more from them in 2013. As usual with Irwin these days, they’ve designed innovative features into these chisels, including a robust steel-capped handle design and an impressive fabric case with a Velcro flap. No need to drive these chisels with a wooden or synthetic mallet.

Sizes in the set are ½-, ¾- and 1-inch wide. The bevel angle of the tip of these chisels is just right for honing a keen edge, though I do wish the flat back face of the chisel was a little smoother as it comes from the factory. It’s not a big deal, but does require a little extra work when bringing a new chisel into fighting trim. At under $30 at The Home Depot, price on this set is amazing, but most importantly the chisels take and hold a decent edge.

Black & Decker Gyro Motion Sensing Screwdriver #BDCS40G

This is the best consumer-grade cordless screwdriver I’ve used, and there are three reasons I like it so much. Most importantly, the Gyro’s got a surprising amount of power. Though not as gutsy as a cordless drill, it can easily drive any screws required to assemble furniture or install small and medium-sized household items on walls.

Also impressive is the way this tool operates. Simply grab the handle, then rotate your hand in whatever direction you want the driver to spin. No direction switches anywhere. Somehow the tool simply responds on its own.

The built-in lithium-ion battery holds a charge for months between uses, so it’s usually ready to go when you need it. At $40, this genuinely useful tool is also a great value. You’ll find it at Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Home Hardware and amazon.ca.

Bradley Burner

This Canadian-made, stainless-steel grate allows wood heating pellets to be burned efficiently in any airtight woodstove. Heating with pellets offers a break on heating costs compared with conventional energy sources, but ordinarily wood pellets won’t burn in anything other than a dedicated pellet stove. These typically cost several thousand dollars, they’re technically complex, they won’t work during a power failure, and I know from three winters living with a pellet stove that they require a complicated cleaning regime.

The Bradley Burner admits air into a pile of pellets so they burn in any regular woodstove without the need for electric power. At $200, this thing isn’t cheap, but it is well made. A big part of the cost comes from the high-grade stainless steel required to resist corrosion. Regular steel won’t stand up for long in a wood fire.

The Bradley Burner is the brainchild of backyard inventor Brad Palmer, and is sold only on his website (bradleyburner.com or call 1-877-746-7764).

Permatex Pneumatic/Hydraulic Sealant PX#54550

Hands-on people often have unusual needs, and preventing liquid from leaking around threaded fittings is one of them. It sounds obscure, I know, but trust me. The need to seal threads is not unusual for those of us involved with plumbing, hydronic heating, hydraulics, air tools and auto repairs and restoration.

I also happen to know from harsh experience that not all thread sealing products work every time. Far from it. That’s why this Permatex product really stands out.

One continuous bead of the dark red liquid around just a single thread seals threaded joints perfectly every time. I know because I’ve completed hundreds of threaded connections with this stuff and never had a single leak — even on large, hard-to-seal pipes. I pay about $40 for a 50mL bottle at my local auto supply outlet. You’ll find it at NAPA and Carquest retailers, too. This stuff certainly is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Think of it like a premium stocking stuffer for the hard-core, mechanical eccentric on your list.

Milwaukee Angle Drill 2615-20

Boring holes in tight quarters is what angle drills do, but there aren’t that many models out there to choose from. I’ve tested pretty well all of them, and Milwaukee’s 2615-20 offers the best combination of performance and price that I’ve seen. You can find cheaper and weaker angle drills, or more costly, stronger and heavier ones, but this model hits a sweet spot for any serious DIYer with a home or cottage to renovate.

Especially well suited to boring holes for pipes and wires, the 2615-20 is part of Milwaukee’s professional grade, 18V cordless family of tools. The tool alone costs $149, or $269 with one battery, a charger and case. Available at Milwaukee dealers or The Home Depot.

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